Content groups and topic clusters
Content groups add up pages by URL pattern; topic clusters add up queries by keywords. This page explains how to create them, how they match, how to read the two reports and where the numbers overlap.
✓ Checked in the workspace code · 4 October 2026
Analysing sets of pages and queries
Single rows hide patterns. Content groups add up pages that share a URL pattern, such as all articles or all product pages. Topic clusters add up queries that share keywords, such as everything about one subject. Both give you one row per theme instead of thousands of rows, with clicks, change, impressions, CTR and position (metric definitions).
The report header notes that when Search Console samples data, you should use the numbers for direction, not as exact totals.
Create groups and clusters in Property Setup
| Item | What you enter |
|---|---|
| Content group | a name, an operator (Contains, Equals, Regex or Does not contain) and a URL pattern such as /blog/; the pattern is matched with the URL path, and a full URL is matched with the domain |
| Topic cluster | a name and keywords separated by commas, for example seo, search console, /analytics.*/ |
“Suggest groups by URL” proposes groups from the URL structure. A query can belong to several clusters at once, so cluster totals can overlap and should not be added together.
How clusters and groups match
- Cluster keywords: a plain keyword matches any query that contains it, ignoring case. A keyword written between slashes, such as /analytics.*/, is a regular expression, also ignoring case.
- Group rules: Contains and Does not contain test the URL text, Equals needs the whole URL to match, and Regex uses a regular expression.
Write the narrowest pattern that captures the set. Broad terms such as “seo” will pull in many unrelated queries.
Reading the Content Groups report
- Controls: period (7, 14 or 28 days, or 3, 6, 8, 12 or 16 months), search type, a branded filter (all, branded, non-branded only), “only groups with traffic”, filter conditions and the same presets as other reports.
- Run analysis: the report calculates only when you start it, so set the period and filters first.
- Table: Group, Pages, Clicks, Change, Impressions, CTR and Position.
- Chart: clicks and impressions by group; click a group in the legend to hide or show it; export a PNG.
- Monthly trend: load monthly data to see how each group moved month by month.
Reading the Topic Clusters report
Choose a period and a comparison, the branded filter and thresholds, then start the analysis. The table lists each cluster with the number of matching queries, clicks, change, impressions, CTR and position. The thresholds hide clusters below a minimum of clicks or impressions. If you have not created any cluster, the report sends you to Property Setup.
Quick filters and thresholds
| Filter | Rule |
|---|---|
| All | every row |
| Opportunity | groups: impressions at or above the threshold (100 by default) and CTR below the threshold (2 percent by default); clusters: impressions above zero and CTR below 2 percent |
| Rising | clicks up against the comparison period (groups also use a growth threshold, 1 by default) |
| Declining | clicks down against the comparison period |
Group thresholds can be saved for the property in your browser. An opportunity is a place to look, not a promise: a low CTR may be normal for a theme with many answers shown directly in results.
Two practical uses
- Find the section that is slipping. Compare groups over 28 days, filter Declining and open the largest drop in Pages.
- Find themes with many views and few clicks. Use Opportunity, then review the titles of the pages in that group.
- Judge a content campaign. Create a cluster for the subject, run it before and after the campaign and compare equal periods.
Limits to keep in mind
- Clusters overlap. One query can sit in several clusters, so do not add cluster totals.
- Exports are capped. Search Console returns the most important rows, so small groups may be undercounted.
- Anonymized queries. They are omitted from query rows (dimensions).
- Browser settings. Thresholds and saved views are stored in your browser and are not shared.
If something looks wrong
| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| “No content groups yet” or “No topic clusters yet” | create them in Property Setup |
| A group shows no pages | the pattern matches nothing; check the operator and whether you wrote a path or a full URL |
| A cluster collects unrelated queries | a keyword is too broad; use a longer phrase or a regular expression |
| Labels are in Russian | these two reports and Property Setup are currently written in Russian; the data is not affected |
Groups and clusters, answered
What is the difference between a group and a cluster?
A group collects pages by URL pattern; a cluster collects queries by keywords.
Can a query be in two clusters?
Yes. For that reason cluster totals can overlap.
How do I use a regular expression in a cluster?
Write the keyword between slashes, for example /analytics.*/.
Why does the report not show numbers at once?
It calculates when you press Run analysis, so you can set the period and filters first.
Continue
Next, see queries, pages and countries and dates and comparisons.